Staying with Bruce and Carol Newman, Hove Dairy Farm, Kadoma
Distance 79 + 8557 = 8636
Average 17.7
Time 4 h 29 m
Total from Amsterdam 14036
Location S18.27303, E29,964917
We recently heard of a few farms that were invaded and are now leased back to white farmers, where just before crops are harvested they (illegal owners) either evict the farmers or they increase the percentage cut of the crop about to be harvested thus reneging on the original agreement, bastards! Kim’s cook, Passmore fed us a breakfast which would see us through the morning making Peter cooked porridge which he devoured, I dislike porridge with a passion.
It was a bit warmer so there was no need to wear two windbreakers and two buffs. Ross had to leave for Harare on tobacco business so we didn’t see him to say thank you and goodbye but Kim and the children saw us to the gate. We had perfect weather, the breeze finally in our favour. The road to Kadoma had less traffic and a decent tarred shoulder but we miss the Zambian smooth roads. Stopped late morning for cheese and tomato sandwiches, reached Chegutu at 12h30 (50 km) where a ZanuPF rally was taking place. My bike, Muffin, and I were adorned with the party’s flags but once out of town I put them in my bar bag to bin or burn later. Peter asked if it was an MDC rally and all took it in good humour, luckily. A real treat just outside Chegutu were whirly ice creams, each one individually wrapped in a thin plastic bag. Glad to see someone has entrepreneurial ideas.
We rode past the Flying Pot Restaurant which must have been great before Mugabe changed things for the worse. Also rode past a roadside stall selling oranges and the guy there was sitting in his version of a hanging chair. What Brian created from very little was incredible. Another freight train passed us, Peter said he saw ‘Spoornet’ (SA Railways) on a locomotive. We reached the turnoff to Brian and Carol’s dairy farm, Hove Farm, with 1 km on gravel to be greeted by two vicious black Labradors but once inside they almost licked us to death.
Liza, Bruce and Carol’s lady who takes care of the house welcomed us with great cups of Tangana Zimbabwean tea, Bruce arriving a short while later. Liza will be coming up for 20 years in a few months working for the family. Bruce has about 150 cows in total and pasteurizes his own milk. Carol is a pharmacist but assists Bruce at the Spar, that they’ve had with Kim’s dad, for about 10 years. Carol has a light yellow 1970 Datsun 1200 with 80000 miles on the clock. It has a few bruises but is still running like a dream. The farm is 10 km from the town of Kadoma but we don’t need any provisions.
Between Jan and Kim we have food for a good few days and Peter complains about the 1.5 kg of spaghetti he’s carrying! In fact we’ve got fresh blueberries, oranges, bananas, jam, peanut butter, cheese, olives, a small pkt of chips and 4 pkts of minute noodles … we definitely won’t starve !!!! We went with Bruce to the NG Kerk’s fundraising bazaar last night and gorged ourselves on four pancakes and huge helpings of delicious chicken, for me and mutton potjie for Peter. We also used Ecocash to pay for our food and drinks. The transaction wouldn’t go through the first time and I realized that my mobile data was off??. All sorted and a lovely evening meeting Kim’s parents and others who recognized us from FB. Back at the farm we all sat outside to watch the red moon eclipse until I could barely keep my eyes open.
Bruce and Carol said we could stay another day so Peter can watch the two Super rugby semis tomorrow and give his two cycle pimples a bit of a rest. Night all xx
– 14 000 km clocked yesterday
– The Flying Pot Restaurant must have been popular way back when
– Brian reclining in his hanging chair at his roadside stall selling oranges
– Kadoma Textiles is still in operation
– Bruce and Carol’s front garden
– Peter enjoying his mutton potjie
